Tracking

September 2012

September 30, 2012

FareShare, a London-based charity that tackles hunger by distributing food to 700 charities across the UK, say they do not have enough produce to meet ever-increasing demand. Follow the link to read more.

September 28, 2012

Scientific American reports that "the worst drought to hit the United States in a half century expanded in the upper Midwest and northern Plains states in the past week due to warmer- and drier-than-normal weather, but loosened its grip on some central and southern areas of the country.
Nearly 65 percent of the contiguous United States were under at least "moderate" drought as of September 18, up from about 64 percent a week earlier, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly compilation of data gathered by federal and academic scientists.
However, the portion of the country under "exceptional" drought - the most dire classification - declined slightly to 5.96 percent from 6.23 percent a week earlier".

September 27, 2012

BBC News reports that thousands of people in Sri Lanka have been struck by a mysterious and deadly form of kidney disease. Most of them are rice farmers. A new study points to a likely cause - pesticides and fertilisers.

"Four years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of Sri Lanka launched a joint investigation into its causes.
Scientists tested people and the environment. They took blood, urine, and tissue samples and tested the region's food, water, and air.
The results, released this summer in a one-page press release, suggested that the culprits were two toxic metals - cadmium and arsenic - contaminating food and the air.

Relatively high levels of the metals showed up in the blood and urine of people in the North Central Province, says Palitha Mahipala, an official with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health.
Although the levels were generally within what is considered the safe range, Mahipala says that continuous exposure to those levels may have been damaging.
"Probably the chronic exposure would have been the reason for this," he says.

But if arsenic and cadmium are to blame, where are they coming from?
The new study blames farm chemicals, which are cheap in Sri Lanka, thanks to government subsidies, and often overused.
Cadmium is found in some fertilisers. Arsenic is an active ingredient in some pesticides.
Companies that import and sell pesticides and herbicides contest the government's conclusion. They point out that the government and WHO have not yet released their full study.
"We believe the evidence is not scientific enough to say that the pesticide is the main reason for this chronic kidney disease," says Senarath Kiriwaththuduwage, research and development manager at Crop Life Sri Lanka, an industry trade association.
The WHO says it will publish the study in the coming months, but are still finalising details.
Some doctors and scientists familiar with the study agree that more research needs to be done, but many believe that farm chemicals are at least partly to blame for CKDu."

Follow the link to read the full article - we will await the full report.

September 26, 2012

Scientific American reports that children exposed to high levels of bisphenol A are five times more likely to be obese than children with low levels, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study by New York University scientists is the first to link the chemical to obesity in children. Previous research reported links in adults and animals. Follow the link to read more.

September 23, 2012

BBC News reports that an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed 31 people and could threaten major towns, according to the World Health Organization.

"An epidemic was officially declared on 17 August in the north-western Orientale Province.
WHO official Eugene Kabambi told Reuters that the situation was "very serious" and was "not under control".
Ebola is highly contagious and kills up to 90% of people infected.
There is no known treatment or vaccine for the disease, which is spread by close personal contact and causes massive internal bleeding".

Click on the link to read the full report on this dreadful development.

September 22, 2012

BBC News reports that India has announced a sharp rise in the price of diesel, the first increase in more than one year, in an attempt to cut the country's budget deficit. There is concern over the Indian economy and the potential for credit rate downgrading. 14% rise when you live in poverty is a huge hike though.

"The government said it would raise diesel prices by 14% from Friday.
India subsidises the prices of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene oil to help the poor and keep inflation in check.
However, this has resulted in a growing budget deficit and there have been concerns the policy may be hurting India's overall economic growth". Follow the link to read more.

September 21, 2012

Scientific American reports that French President Francois Hollande has launched a global campaign to win support for creating strategic stockpiles of agricultural commodities. Concern over the impact of droughts on harvests around the globe on the volatility of food prices makes the world reflect on the stability of times gone by when "grain mountains", "butter mountains" exisited. Intervention in food markets through the development of strategic stores was seen an an aged policy - maybe it will return onto the policy agenda again.